Jukka-Pekka leads a workshop for young conductors as a part of Dirigentenforum 2016, taking place on 19-20 November at the WDR Funkhaus Cologne.

The candidates will be working on Bartók’s Divertimento for String Orchestra – a demanding piece, says Jukka-Pekka:
I will present one view on conducting, which is based on trying to create a sound and an expression through conducting which is not necessary to explain in words. I want to show how to get into the sound organically, to get into the players’ minds so they can feel the conducting and not just observe its metrics.

There are many challenging elements in Divertimento – you have to be able to create long lines, to be very accurate with the pulse, to know something about rubato, and to get the characters right.

I’m more and more convinced that the right way of conducting automatically produces the right characterisation and the right sounds. What signifies my own background is that we never talk things through. You need to have a strong idea in your mind and use your mental powers. The musicians’ ability to read you matters as well, but professional musicians are very alert to impulses coming from the conductor.

My education was very much influenced by the Russian school – a very developed school of conducting. The rules of the style are very strict: you have to be able to produce a legato beat all the time; legato thinking. What you do on top of that is up to your own personality and way of thinking. Yet, the movement of the beat has to be logical, and you should use this as the basis for your technique. I’ve tried to demonstrate this in every single masterclass and seminar I’ve given.